Mechanism for retaining and extracting cans and covers from closing machine pockets



24, 1954 R. E. J. NORDQUIST ETAL 2,587,202

MECHANISM FOR RETAINING AND EXTRACTING CANS AND COVERS FROM CLOSING MACHINE POCKETS 3 Sheets-Shut 1 Filed Jan. 21, 1952 N f% M f 0? 5 m N W ZWW 1 m H 2 E 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 CANS AN NORDQUIST EIAL TAINING AND EXTRACTING R. E. J FOR RE COVERS FROM CLOSING MACHINE POCKETS Flled Jan 21 1952 MECHANISM llllll lllllllllll Aug. 24, 1954 g- 1954 R. E. J. NORDQUIST EIAL MECHANISM FOR RETAINING AND EXTRACTING CANS AND COVERS FROM CLOSING MACHINE POCKETS Filed Jan. 21, 1952 3 Sheets-Sheet s if a1 57 .B 7 p 4a 1 L 6 J? F2 7? 5 W 14 I/ i A 71 #iififillllllllllll ATTOE/VEYS Patented Aug. 24, 1954 MECHANISM FOR RETAINING AND EX- TRACTING CANS AND COVERS FROM CLOSING MACHINE POCKETS Ronald E. J. Nordquist, Maplewood, and John Felber, Hillside, Can Company, of New Jersey N. J., assignors to American New York, N. Y., a corporation Application January 21, 1952, Serial No. 267,416

12 Claims. 1

The present invention relates to machines for filling and sealing cans or containers and has particular reference to devices for moving cans into and out of the pockets of rotary valves used to seal ofi pressurized or gassed chambers formed in the machine.

An object of the instant invention is the provision of transfer devices located Within and without arotary valve mechanism for holding a can and/or its cover Within a pocket of a rotary valve to prevent throwing of the can and/or its cover, through centrifugal action, against the valve seat and thus prevent scratching or scoring of the seat and leakage of air through the scores.

Another object is the provision of such devices which include a magnetic extractor rail for extracting the can bodies and/or their covers from the valve pockets in such a manner that scoring of the outer sealing face of the valve is prevented.

Numerous other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent as it is better understood from the following description, which, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, discloses a preferred embodiment thereof.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is a plan view section of a portion of a can closing machine embodying the instant invention, with parts broken away;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical section taken substantially along the broken lines 2-2 in Fig. 1, with parts broken away;

Fig. 3 is a reduced scale plan view of a gear train used in the machine shown in Figs. 1 and Fig. 4 is an enlarged vertical section taken substantially along the line 4-4 in Fig. 1, with parts broken away; and

Fig. 5 is an enlarged perspective view of a magnet used in the machine.

As a preferred or exemplary embodiment of the instant invention the drawings illustrate principal parts of a can and cover assembling and closing machine of the character disclosed in United States Patent 2,039,338 issued May 5, 1936 to Ronald E. J. Nordquist et al., on Closing Machine, although the invention is equally well adapted to other machines and other uses.

In such a closing machine filled sheet metal cans A and sheet metal covers B are fed into the machine from separate sources of supply and are introduced in superposed and spaced relation into a rotary valve disposed at the entrance of a vacuumized chamber in which the can and cover are brought together and permanently united to close 2 and seal the can. A similar valve mechanism is utilized at the exit end of the chamber. These valves are used to preserve the vacuum condition Within the chamber.

In the instant invention the drawings show a simplified adaptation of the machine shown in the Nordquist patent and include a rotary cylindrical valve l2 (Figs. 1 and 2) disposed within a surrounding valve seat I 3 formed as a part of and at the entrance to a. housing M which encloses a chamber it maintained, in any suitable man ner, in a vacuumized condition and which contains the mechanism for receiving, advancing and uniting the cans and their covers in the conventional manner.

By way of example, the drawings show the cans A and their superposed and spaced covers B being fed into the machine along spaced and parallel upper andlower guide rails l6, I! (Fig. 1). Stroke'bars I 8, l9 reciprocated in any suitable manner advance the cans and their covers along the guide rails and push them through an entrance opening 2| in the valve seat I3. A can thus fed into the machine is received in a pocket 23 (see also Fig. 2) in the outer periphery of the valve l2. Its cover B is received and supported in spaced relation above the can on a ledge 24 formed in the valve and included in the pocket. There are a plurality of these pockets 213 and ledges 24 in the valve l2 and the cans and their covers are received in these valve pockets as the valve rotates.

The valve 12 is rotated continuously. For this purpose it ismounted on a vertical sleeve 26 which is journaled in a pair of vertically spaced bearings 21 formed in the housing M. The sleeve is rotated by a gear 28secured to its lower end.

A can A and cover B received in a valve pocket 23 are retained in a retracted position at the back of the pocket and away from the surrounding valve seat 13 so as to prevent engagement of the can and cover with the seat and thereby prevent scratching or scoring of the seat. This retaining action is effected by U-shaped permanent magnets 30 disposed in an annular recess 3| formed in the valve at the back of the pockets. Each magnet is formed with a short upper leg 32 and a slightly longer lower leg 33 which are slideably disposed in and extend through slide openings-34 formed in the valve at the back of each pocket.

The magnet legs 32, 33 project into the pockets 23 and engage against and attract the can and its cover as best shown in Fig. 2. A ledge 38 formed in the top edge of the magnet leg 32 supports the outer edge of the cover B (see Fig. 5).

A compression spring 3%- interposed between the valve and the magnet holds the magnet in a retracted position to retain the can and its cover in position against centrifugal action of the rotating valve.

A can and its cover are held in this retracted position within their valve pocket 23 until the valve has rotated. counterclockwise into a position adjacent an opening 39 (Fig. 1) formed in the valve seat I? at the entrance to the vacuumized chamber l5. When a valve pocket aligns with this opening, its can and cover are simultaneously pushed outwardly to partially extend out of the pocket. This partial discharge of the can and cover from the pocket is eifected preferably by a bellows 4i attached to the back of each magnet 31} and housed within the annular recess M in the valve. The bellows disclosed are longitudinally collapsible and expansible cylindrical shells, each having one end closed and the opposite or inner end opening through an externally threaded tubular connector. Such bellows are well known by the trade name Sylphon which will be used hereinafter to identify them.

The inner ends of all the Sylphons 4| are threadedly secured into the valve l2 adjacent its actuating sleeve 2% and communicated with ports 52 formed in the valve sleeve. There is one port for each Sylphon. The ports in the sleeve rotate around the outlet end of an air pasageway 43 formed in a stationary shaft M which extends up through the sleeve and is held rigid in a clamp bearing 55 formed in the housing I4. A flexible tube 46 at the lower end of the shaft connects the pasageway 43 to any suitable source of fluid pressure, preferably air under pressure. The outlet end of the passageway 43 is aligned with the valve seat opening 39.

Hence when a Sylphon port 42, through rotation of the valve I2, aligns with the outlet end of the passageway l3, fluid pressure from the tube 46- enters the Sylphon All and expands it sufficiently to push the magnet 3i! outwardly against the resistance of the spring 36 (see Fig. 1) and thus partially discharges the can and its cover from their pocket into the vacuumized chamber l5.

Full discharge of the can and its cover from its pocket is effected by a pair of vertically spaced and parallel, horizontal permanent magnet extractor rails 68, 49 (Figs. 1 and i) which are disposed in the opening 33 of the valve seat l3 and which are disposed at an angle to the valve, preferably tangential with the sealing face of the valve. The upper guide rail at is disposed in horizontal alignment with the cover supporting ledges M in the valve pockets 23 and its inner face, i. e. the face adjacent the valve, is provided with a longitudinal groove 5! for receiving and partially supporting the covers. The lower guide rail. 48 is disposed directly below the upper guide rail 43 at a level substantially midway between the top and bottom ends of the can. The inner face of this guide rail is parallel to the inner face of the upper guide rail.

When a can and its cover are partially discharged from their pocket 23 of the rotating valve l2, they are pushed into engagement with their respective guide rails 48, M3. The magnetic attraction of the guide rails is greater than the magnetic force of the magnets 38 in the valve pockets to provide for a holding action which causes the can and cover to cling to the guide rails 48, 49 as the valve continues to rotate. This holding action causes the can and its cover to be stripped or pulled away from their magnet 36 and to roll along the tangentially disposed guide rails as the valve continues to rotate. The rolling action is caused by the valve at the pocket pushing against the can and its cover. In this manner the can and its cover are fully extracted from the valve pocket and in this position are disposed in the vacuumized chamber l5.

Upon stripping of the can and its cover from their magnet 30, the fluid pressure port 42 in the valve actuating sleeve 26 moves into communication with an atmosphere channel 5Q formed in the upper end of the stationary shaft t5 and leading out to the open atmosphere. Communication of the port t2 and hence the interior of the Sylphon M with this atmosphere channel so dissipates the pressure within the Sylphon and thus permits the spring 36 to return the magnet 3?! to its original position for a subsequent can and cover.

As a can and its cover leave the valve pocket 23, the cover enters an auxiliary guide rail iii-B having a broad projecting support base 5 3 which extends adjacent the outer face of the valve IE to fully support the cover during its extraction from the valve pocket. This auxiliary guide rail 53 is disposed opposite and parallel with the upper magnetic guide rail at. A similar guide rail 55 (Fig. 4) formed on the outer ledge of a horizontal table 5'5 is provided for supporting and guiding the rolling can body A.

As soon as a can A and its cover 8 are fully extracted from their valve pocket 23, the can is engaged by a double transfer turret (ii having spaced peripheral pockets 62 disposed adjacent the magnetic guide rails 48, d9 for advancing the can toward the closing devices housed within the chamber l5. The turret ti is mounted on a vertical shaft 64 (Figs. 1 and 4) journaled in a bearing 55 formed in the chamber housing M. The turret is rotated in time with the valve l2 by a gear 66 secured to the lower end of the shaft and meshing with the valve actuating gear 28 (see Fig. 3).

The rotating turret 6| advances the cans preferably along a curved nonmagnetic rail 68 (Fig. 1) which forms a continuation of the lower magnetic guide rail 49. The rail 68 guides the cans into pockets 69 of a rotating turret H which forms a part of the can closing mechanism. The turret 'H is mounted on a shaft 12 journaled in bearings formed in the housing [4. The shaft is rotated in time with the valve l2 and the transfer turret 62 by a gear 13 (Figs. 3 and 4) which is. carried on the shaft. The gear 13 meshes with a gear 14 carried on the transfer turret shaft 54. The entire train of gears as illustrated in Fig. 3 may be rotated from a drive shaft which preferably is a part of the closing mechanism.

The cover B is advanced with the can A and throughout this advancement the cover remains in superposed and spaced relation to the can. The cover upon its full extraction from its valve pocket 23 is engaged and advanced by a plunger l6 (Fig. 4) which is one of several such plungers vertically carried in the outer ends of spider arms ll of a spider wheel 13 secured to and rotating with the transfer turret shaft (i l. Thus the spider wheel and the turret rotate in timed relation. The plungers l6 and the turret pockets B2 are aligned for simultaneous advancement of the covers and the cans.

' The plungers 16 are vertically movable in the ends of the spider arms I! and are normally held rotatable can carrier having a pocket for in an upper or retracted position to cross over the upper magnetic guide rail 48. For this purpose each plunger 16is surrounded by a coiled spring 8| which is interposed between the upper face of the spider arms and an enlarged head 82 on the top end of the plunger.

As the spider wheel 18 rotates, it carries a plunger 16 toward and over the top of the upper magnetic rail 48 and immediately upon passing this rail, the head 82 of the plunger engages under a stationary cam 83 disposed above the path, of travel of the can covers B. The cam 83 pushes the plunger down in the space between thevalve 12, the magnetic guide rail 48, and the fully extracted cover B and thus causes the plunger to engage behind the cover. Hence as the spider wheel continues to rotate, the plunger advances the cover. The cover is advanced along and is supported by a curved nonmagnetic rail 85 which forms a continuation of the magnetic rail 48 and which extends parallel to the lower can guide rail 68 (see Fig. 1). The cam 83 terminates adjacent this rail 88 and thus releases the plunger 16 before it reaches the rail. The rail 85 guides the cover onto a supporting ledge 86 in the pockets 59 of the closing machine turret H where the cover is in vertical alignment with its can for advancement into the closing mechanism. This completes the cycle of operation of feeding the cans and covers and extracting them from their valve pockets without damaging the valve seat.

It is thought that the invention and many of its attendant advantages will be understood from the'foregoing description, and it will be apparent that variouschanges may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the parts Without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention or sacrificing all of its material advantages, the form hereinbefore described being merely a preferred embodiment thereof.

We claim:

1. In an apparatus for advancing sheet metal cans and covers therefor, the combination of a rotatable can carrier having a pocket for receiving a can part, a magnet mounted for movement Within said carrier for retaining said can part in said pocket against displacement by centrifugalforce while said magnet is in retracted position, and means in said can carrier for shifting said magnet from its retracted position to move said can part out of said pocket.

2. In an apparatus for advancing sheet metal cans and covers therefor, the combination of a receiving a can part, a magnet mounted for substantially radial movement within said carrier for retaining said can part in said pocket against dis placement by centrifugal force while said magnet is in retracted position, means for yieldably retaining said magnet in retracted position, and fluid actuated means in said can carrier for shifting said magnet outwardly from its retracted position to move said can part out of said pocket.

3. In an apparatus for advancing sheet metal cans and covers therefor, the combination of a rotatable can carrier having a pocket for receiving a can part, a radially movable magnet disposed within said carrier for retaining said can part in said pocket against displacement by centrifugal force while said magnet is in retracted position, an extensible bellows disposed in said can carrier and connected with said magnet for shifting said magnet from its retracted position to move said can part out of said pocket, and fluid pressure means for actuating said bellows.

4. In an apparatus for advancing sheet metal cans and covers therefor, the combination of a rotatable can carrier having a pocket for receiving a plurality of can parts, a magnet movably mounted within said carrier for retaining said plurality of can parts in said pocket against displacement by centrifugal force while said magnet is in retracted position, and means in said can carrier for shifting said magnet from its retracted position to move said plurality of can parts simultaneously out of said pocket.

5. In an apparatus for advancing sheet metal cans and covers therefor, the combination of a rotatable can carrier having a pocket for receiving a can part, a slideway in said can carrier adjacent saidpocket, a magnet reciprocably mounted. in said slideway and projecting into said pocket for retaining said can part in said pocket against displacement by centrifugal force while said magnet is in retracted position, and means in said can carrier for reciprocating said magnet to move said can part out of said pocket and return the magnet to its retracted position.

6. In an apparatus for advancing sheet metal cans and covers therefor, the combination of a rotatable can carrier having a pocket for receiving a said can and a said cover in superposed spaced relation, a pair of vertically spaced slideways in said can carrier adjacent said pocket, a magnet having a pair of spaced legs reciprocably mounted in said slideways and projecting into said pocket for engaging and retaining said can and said cover in said pocket against displacement by centrifugal force while said magnet is in retracted position, and means in said can carrier for reciprocating said magnet to move said can and said cover out of said pocket simultaneously and return the magnet to its retracted position.

7. In an apparatus for advancing sheet metal cans and covers therefor, the combination of a rotatable valve having a peripheral pocket for receiving a can part, a valve seat surrounding said valve and having can entrance and can discharge openings therein, a magnet movably mounted in said carrier. for retaining said can part in said valve pocket and away from said valve seat against displacement by centrifugal force to prevent scoring of said seat while said magnet is in retracted position, and means in said valve for shifting said magnet from its retracted position to move said can part out of said pocket through said discharge opening in said valve seat.

8. In an apparatus for advancing sheet metal cans and covers therefor, the combination of a rotatable can carrier having a pocket for receiving a can part, movable magnet means in said can carrier for holding said can part fully within said pocket while said magnet means are retracted and for partially ejecting said can part from said pocket, means for moving said magnet means, and a magnetic extractor member disposed adjacent said can carrier and having magnetic force greater than said magnet means for withdrawing said can part fully from said magnet means and said carrier pocket.

9. In an apparatus for advancing sheet metal cans and covers therefor, the combination of a rotatable can carrier having a pocket for receiving a can part, movable magnetic means in said carrier pocket for retaining said can part fully within said pocket and for partially ejecting said part from the pocket, and a stationary magnetized extractor rail having greater magnetic force than said magnetic means and being disposed adjacent said can carrier in tangential relation thereto for withdrawing said can part from said magnetic means and said carrier pocket and for guiding the withdrawn can part along a predetermined path of travel.

10. In an apparatus for advancing sheet metal cans and covers therefor, the combination of a rotatable can carrier having a pocket for receiving a can and a cover in superposed spaced relation, movable magnetic means in said carrier pocket for retaining said can and cover fully within said pocket and for partially ejecting said can and cover from the pocket, and a pair of vertically disposed stationary magnetized extractor rails having greater magnetic force than said magnetic means and being located adjacent said can carrier in tangential relation thereto for withdrawing said can and said cover simultaneously from said magnetic means and said carrier pocket and for guiding said withdrawn can and cover along a predetermined path of travel.

11. In an apparatus for advancing sheet metal cans and covers therefor, the combination of a rotatable can carrier having a pocket for receiving a can part, a magnet movably mounted within said carrier for retaining said can part in said pocket against displacement by centrifugal force, an extensible and contractible bellows in said can carrier for shifting said magnet, means for contracting said bellows while the can part is in said pocket and for extending them to partially eject said can part from said pocket, and a magnetic extractor rail having greater magnetic force than said magnet and being disposed adjacent said can carrier for withdrawing said can part fully from said magnet and from said carrier pocket, said rail being shaped to facilitate rolling of said can part therealong. 7

12. In an apparatus for advancing sheet metal cans and covers therefor, the combination of a rotatable can carrier having a pocket for receiving a can part, a magnet disposed within said carrier for retaining said can part in said pocket against displacement by centrifugal force, an extensible and contractible bellows in said can carrier for shifting said magnet, means for contracting said bellows while the can part is in said pocket and for extending them to partially eject said can part from said pocket, a magnetic extractor rail having greater magnetic force than said magnet and being disposed adjacent said can carrier for withdrawing said can part fully from said magnet and from said carrier pocket, said rail being shaped to facilitate rolling of said can part therealong, and means for propelling said can part along said rail.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,052,872 De Voney Sept. 1, 1936 2,220,137 Wilkinson Nov. 5, 1940 2,269,474 Nordquist Jan. 13, 1942 2,326,794 Norquist Aug. 1'7, 1943 2,335,239 Gladfelter et al. Nov. 30, 1943 2,424,581 Peters July 29, 194"! 2,521,306 Peterson et al Sept. 5,, 1950 

